About this episode

The episode explores the concept of almsgiving in the context of Lent, emphasizing its significance in justice and relationships over mere charity.

What is almsgiving — and why does the Church teach that it is more about justice and right relationship than simply personal charity or philanthropy? As “Preach” continues its Lent 2026 series on the three classical pillars of the season—prayer, fasting and almsgiving—we turn to almsgiving, perhaps the most confronting of the three. In this conversation, Ricardo da Silva, S.J. is joined by Kerry Robinson, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA., and author of Imagining Abundance: Fundraising, Philanthropy, and a Spiritual Call to Service, a book that reflects on generosity as a spiritual practice rooted in faith. Timecodes: 0:00 Generosity is at the heart of almsgiving 2:30 Our cognitive dissonance with money and faith 5:43 How Kerry became a steward of her family’s 80-year-old foundation 8:20 About Catholic Charities U.S.A. 11:50 Biblical teachings on giving alms 16:36 Mother Teresa: “never take away the right of another to be generous” 21:30 We need both charity and justice 26:24 New insights from Pope Leo and ‘Dilexi Te’ 28:08 Preach almsgiving with thanksgiving --- Support this podcast by becoming a subscriber. Visit ⁠⁠americamagazine.org/subscribe⁠ Learn more about your…

People in this episode

Host: Ricardo da Silva, S.J.

Guest: Kerry Robinson

Topics covered

• almsgiving
• Lent
• justice
• charity
• spiritual practice
• Catholic teachings

Keywords

• almsgiving
• Lent
• justice
• charity
• Catholic Church
• spirituality
• generosity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Catholic Charities USA

Books & works: Imagining Abundance: Fundraising, Philanthropy, and a Spiritual Call to Service

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• Preaching the Risen Christ: A Scripture Scholar on the first witnesses · April 6, 2026 · 44 min
• Preaching the pillars of Lent: Fasting · March 9, 2026 · 28 min
• Preaching the pillars of Lent: Prayer · February 23, 2026 · 31 min

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